I was recently contacted by Russell Heath, who completed a circumnavigation from 1985 to 1989 with V106 Kainui: one of only 4 Vertues to sail round the world. He sailed westwards, from Alaska, crossing the Pacific, Indian Ocean, Suez, Mediterranean, and Atlantic, ending in Maine. He gave an excellent talk about his …

I recently received an e-mail from Anne Gillies, who wrote: My father, Peter Woolass, owned Stelda and sailed the Atlantic solo, as you know. Sadly Dad died this last Christmas, aged 95 and, as I now live in Falmouth, where there is a really good Maritime Museum, I have approached …

I thought, this year, that it would be a good idea to start the year with a week’s training to make me more confident in handling Drumler. So I booked for a trainer to come aboard for 5 days from the East Anglian Sea School down at Levington. The point …

Finally back on her mooring; in great nick, with 2 days to spare before my training week with Julian from the Anglian Sea School. Robertson’s have done a great job tidying Drumler up: her brightwork and hull are gleaming, the cabin is clean and freshly-painted, and generally looking good. Here …

After my worthy efforts two years ago, scraping and repainting Drumler’s hull, I finally conceded that some things are best left to the professionals, and so contacted Robertson’s Boatyard to discuss an extensive winter refit. Drumler’s cabin was in a fairly sorry state, with paint peeling off, and many of …

Bruce Morley sent an e-mail to say that he and his wife Thelma are are currently at Port Huon in Tasmania and will be attending the 2015 wooden boat festival in Hobart in Feb 2015. Bruce and Themla built Hui of Opua at Toronto NSW Australia over a 12 year period and …

Sonya Wallace got in touch to say that she and her husband John Kemp are the owners of V155 Thomasina, which was renamed from Halcyon II, which they keep moored in in Mooloolaba in Queensland. Sonya also sent details of a blog she has written on Thomasina, which you can visit …

Andrea Michelazzo got in touch with me to say that he is the owner of V146 Tanera, which is currently based in Trieste. She is based in Italy, where her owner is friends with the owners of V58 Bettina, V100 Return, V123 Jan Gilda, and V126 Fab (Maurizio, Edwin, Enea and …

Michael Vaughan got in touch to say that he is the present keeper of V218, Island Vertue, which is based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. ‘Ivy’ was launched in 2000 and she is strip planked. Michael says she is one of three Vertues in Tasmania along with Patience of the Huon and the visiting …

Ben Deveson contacted me about V61 Virtue, which he bought last November 2013, and now keeps on the Westeinde Plas, outside his house in Badhoevedorp, in Holland. Ben is heading off to the Frisian islands later this week: an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea stretching from the north-west of …